Taking on the titular role in G&S WA’s next main stage production, Mark Thompson will be playing one of Gilbert & Sullivan most intriguing characters in The Sorcerer.
Has John Wellington Wells aka The Sorcerer been a fun role to prepare? What do you think of your character?
JW Wells is the type of character most actors love to play, open to all sorts of fun interpretation. He can be good or evil, friendly or foolish, a tragedy or a comedy. I’ve personally been enjoying playing Wells as delightfully fiendish, channelling my inner Dr. Facilier (Disney’s The Princess and the Frog) especially with the incantation.
Do you have a favourite line of dialogue from this production? If so, share it with us!
“Our sale of penny curses, especially on a Saturday night, is tremendous; We can’t turn them out fast enough”.
Do you have a favourite play or musical, and if so, why do you love it?
My favourite is so hard to pick, so I’ll say my favourite operetta is the The Pirates of Penzance. The music is catchy, the story so twisty and the dialogue so full of wit and charm. My favourite musical on the other hand is Oliver! I have had the pleasure of playing Fagin (my dream role) once already and it is a role of such depth, humour and humanity that I long loved and will continue to do for as long as I am able.
What’s the biggest challenge about taking on this role?
Lots of trio’s, tight, complex harmonies and timing. Absolutely beautiful sound, but quite the challenge to sing.
What’s the last thing you do before you step out on stage / the curtain goes up?
Deep breath out, straighten the costume, little shake to make sure everything is sitting comfortably and a cheeky wink to the next person to catch my eye.